We’re Bustin’ Outta Here - Tonight, Part 2

Footprints Of Fayette

Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.

The April 21, 1960, issue of the La Grange Journal contained an article which was described as the first jailbreak from the old Fayette County jail since 1921. This jailbreak resulted in law officers from several counties busy with efforts to bring four prisoners back to the old jail in La Grange. In the Journal article, a vivid description was given of the methods used by the four prisoners, and the circumstances which followed that allowed for the apprehension of three of the four young men. The following details were given by then Fayette County Sheriff Jim Flournoy to the reporters who wrote the story. “At 1:30 a.m. Friday, (April 15) four prisoners escaped from the jail in La Grange by using two hacksaw blades to saw into the bars of a second-story cell, (they then) pried open the bars and climbed through. They then went into the ‘run-around’ area on the ground floor and sawed a bar in a north window of the jail, pried it apart and squeezed through to freedom.” The Sheriff speculated that the saw blades evidently were in the possession of one of the men when he was jailed.

The four inmates involved included Eddie Tollerson, 22 of Houston, who was arrested for the January 13 robbery of a residence in Flatonia and the assault of another citizen in Flatonia. Others included Ray Berry, 22, and Louis Neal, 24, both of San Antonio, arrested for the November 29 burglary of the Kasper Store in Warda, and Eugene Martinez, 23, of Waelder, who was in jail for the December 10 burglary of the Klein Store in Schulenburg.

(Please note that the following incidents which will be described, all took place on the old Highway 90, not the presentday Interstate 10. Thus these escapees had to drive thru all of the small towns located between Flatonia and San Antonio, which made it a little easier for the law enforcement officers to be on the alert for them.) According to the Journal article, the four stole a pickup truck in La Grange and drove it to Flatonia, where they stole a new Ford Falcon from the Flatonia Motor Company. However, the Falcon was only driven as far as Waelder, where it was abandoned, and the four continued on in the pickup truck to San Antonio.

On Sunday, April 17, Eugene Martinez stole a 1949 Chevrolet in San Antonio and started on his way to Houston. A constable in Waelder was unable to stop Martinez, however, Chief Deputy Marvin Buller of the Colorado County Sheriff’s Department forced the vehicle off the road, in which time Martinez took to the woods. With the help of two packs of bloodhounds and about 50 officers, an extensive search was concentrated in the Colorado River bottom between Glidden and Borden. Sheriff Flournoy then related that the exhausted Martinez was taken into custody at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 18, and returned to the jail in La Grange.

The Journal continues with “on Tuesday, April 19th, the other three escapees were spotted by railroad workers at Greenville, (Hunt County, northeast of Dallas). The workers called the police because the men were loitering on railroad property.” It goes on to state that “as the officers approached, the men fled and two, Tollerson and Neal, jumped into waist deep water in an attempt to get away. Here they were taken into custody.”

The third, Ray Berry, made good his escape into the underbrush of the river bottom. He later stole a car near Greenville and drove toward Paris, where he was spotted by a highway patrolman. After checking the license plate number, the officer pulled alongside the stolen car and forced the driver to pull to the shoulder. The patrolman then observed Berry jump out of the car and head for some underbrush. At this point, the patrolman fired a warning shot at the suspect. The next shot was aimed at his legs. The Journal reports that the ending of this escape came about as such: “The bullet struck the man in the upper portion of the leg, apparently striking an artery, and he bled to death shortly thereafter.” The newspaper made it clear that “all four escaped prisoners had been indicted in Fayette County by a recent grand jury.”

Thus, the end of the story of the Fayette County Jail’s “Great Escape.”

In 1985, a new facility was opened for use as the Fayette County Jail. This left the old jail, located at 171 South Main Street in La Grange, just 1 block south of the Courthouse. With the help of local citizens, the old jail was repaired and was used as the office for the Chamber of Commerce. However, since 2016 the old jail has been the home of the Texas Heroes Museum, a “museum to honor Texans who served and sacrificed to win and preserve freedom and liberty.” This old landmark which has seen its share of “visitors” over the years, is open for tours thanks to the help of local volunteers. Check out their website at www.texasheroesmuseum.com for information about these tours.

Sources: The La Grange Journal; Texas Heroes Museum website